Thermal-hydraulics

and Nuclear Safety

Syeilendra Pramuditya, M.Eng., PhD

Physics Study Program

Institut Teknologi Bandung
1
 2

Komponen Penilaian (Kuliah 2 SKS)

 Tugas Individu
 Tugas Kelompok
 Quiz
 Ujian 1 / Ujian 2 / Tugas Makalah
 Kehadiran minimal 80%
 Keterlambatan maksimal 30 menit
 Buku acuan
 Nuclear Systems I & II (Todreas-Kazimi)
 Nuclear Reactor Analysis (Duderstadt-Hamilton)
 3

History and Current Status

 From splitting the atom to energy production
 1938  Discovery of nuclear fission by Otto Hahn, Lise
Meitner, and Fritz Strassmann
 1942  First sustainable fission reaction by Enrico Fermi
 1954  First commercial nuclear power reactor in
Obninsk, Soviet Union
 There are over 435 commercial nuclear power
reactors operable in 31 countries, with over
375,000 MWe of total capacity. About 70 more
reactors are under construction.
 They provide over 11% of the world's electricity
as continuous, reliable base-load power, without
carbon dioxide emissions.
 56 countries operate a total of about 240
research reactors and a further 180 nuclear
reactors power some 140 ships and submarines.
 4

Nuclear Power in the World

 5

Nuclear Power in the World

 6

Nuclear Power in the World

 7

Nuclear Energy in Indonesia

 1954 -1958: Panitia Negara untuk Penyelidikan
Radioaktivitas
 Dilatarbelakangi oleh adanya percobaan ledakan nuklir pada tahun
1950-an oleh beberapa negara terutama Amerika Serikat di beberapa
kawasan Pasifik, sehingga menimbulkan kekhawatiran tentang
jatuhnya zat radioaktif di wilayah Indonesia. Tugas dari panitia ini
adalah untuk menyelidiki akibat percobaan ledakan nuklir, mengawasi
penggunaan tenaga nuklir dan memberikan laporan tahunan kepada
pemerintah.
 1958 – 1964: Lembaga Tenaga Atom
 Tugasnya untuk melaksanakan riset di bidang tenaga nuklir dan
mengawasi penggunaan tenaga nuklir di Indonesia.
 1964 – 1997: Badan Tenaga Atom Nasional (BATAN)
 Tugas BATAN adalah untuk melaksanakan riset tenaga nuklir dan
mengawasi penggunaan tenaga nuklir di Indonesia. Pengawasan
penggunaan energi nuklir tersebut dilaksanakan oleh unit yang berada
di bawah BATAN, yang terakhir pada Biro Pengawasan Tenaga Atom
(BPTA).
 1997 – Sekarang: Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional (BATAN)
dan Badan Pengawas Tenaga Nuklir (BAPETEN)
 8

“Nuclear Reactor”
 9

Thermal-Hydraulics
 Thermal  Study of how the heat is
transported
 Hydraulics  Study of the mechanics of
fluids
 10

Nuclear Safety
 Study of behaviors of nuclear reactor
when it responds to some events, both
normal and off-normal conditions.
 Normal  start up, shut down
 Off-normal  incident, accident
 To answer the question: “can we always
keep the nuclear reactor safe?”
 11

Nuclear Reactor
 Any engineered system where controlled
nuclear reactions (fission, fusion, decay)
occur
 A nuclear reactor can produce as much
power as we can safely take from it
 Bottle neck  how fast we can take the energy
produced from nuclear reactions
 12

Reactor Types
 13

Pool and Loop Types

 14

Direct, Single Coolant Rankine Cycle

 15

Direct, Single Coolant Brayton Cycle

 16

Two Coolant System Steam Cycle

 17

Two Coolant System Steam Cycle

 18

Characteristics of Thermodynamic Cycles

 19

BWR Single Loop Primary Coolant System

 20

Recirculation Flow Paths in BWR

 21

Primary System of a PWR

 22

Flow Path in a PWR Reactor Vessel

 23

Flow Path in a Modular HTGR

 24

Characteristics of Power Reactor Fuels

 25

PWR Core Structure and Geometry

 26

PWR Core Structure and Geometry

 Top view
 27

Fuel Assembly of PWR

 28

Fuel Array of LWR (PWR & BWR)

 29

Fuel Array of PHWR/CANDU

 30

PHWR/CANDU Reactor System

 31

Fuel Array of LMFBR

 32

HTGR Core & Fuel Geometry

 Prismatic Fuel Assembly
 33

HTGR Core & Fuel Geometry

 Pebble Fuel Assembly
 34

Molten Salt Reactor (MSR)

 35

Overall Plant Characteristics

 Primary system temperature and pressure
are key characteristics related to both the
coolant selection and plant thermal
performance
 Maximum allowable primary coolant outlet
temperature
 Minimum achievable condenser coolant inlet
temperature
 Condenser performance is fixed: ambient
temperature
 Plant thermodynamic efficiency is improved by
increasing primary coolant outlet temperature
 36

Carnot Engine

TL
C  1 
TH
 37

Plant Temperatures of Typical PWR

 38

Core Thermal Performance Characteristics

 39

Coolant Characteristics
 Water coolant (LWR systems  PWR, BWR)
 No problem with primary system materials (no
corrosion), but..
 Low atmospheric boiling point  requires high
pressure (7 – 15 MPa)  thick structural piping
and components
 Liquid metal coolant (LMR systems)
 High atmospheric boiling point, but..
 Problem with primary system materials
(corrosion of cladding due to high temperature
liquid metal flows)
 40

Coolant Characteristics
 Gas coolant (HTGR systems)
 Already in gas state in atmospheric pressure
(no boiling problem)
 No problem with primary system materials (no
corrosion), but..
 Low heat transfer capabilities  has to be
operated at moderate pressure of 4 – 5 MPa
 41

Characteristics of Power Reactor Fuels

 42

Energy Release and Deposition

 43

Energy Production in Nuclear Fuel

 Counting the neutrons (neutronics)
 The neutron flux
 Methods
 Neutron transport eqs. (deterministic)
 Neutron diffusion eqs. (deterministic)
 Monte carlo (probabilistic)
 44

Energy Production in Nuclear Fuel

 Neutron diffusion eqs.
 Continuous neutron energy spectrum 
Discrete neutron energy spectrum
 45

Multigroup Neutron Diffusion Equations

 laju perubahan   kebocoran   absorpsi   neutron muncul   neutron   neutron 

 jumlah   neutron   neutron   dari sumber   terhambur   terhambur 
 =- - + - + 
 neutron   dari sistem   di grup g   neutron   keluar dari   masuk ke 
 di grup g   (leakage)     di grup g   grup g   grup g 
           

1  g ( r , t)     
   Dg (r )g (r , t )   ag (r )g (r , t ) 
vg t
g   G
 
S g (r , t )   sg (r )g (r , t )    sg ' g (r )g ' (r , t )
keff g '1

 G
 
S (r , t )   vg ' fg ' (r )g ' (r , t )
g '1
 46

Multigroup Neutron Diffusion Equations

 Solve them and you get Neutron Flux

Volumetric Energy Generation Rate (W/cc):


Ef  f ( r,t )
E f  Energy released per fission (J)
 f  Macroscopic Cross Section (cm -1 )

 ( r )  Neutron Flux (cm -2s -1 )
 47

Multigroup Neutron Diffusion Equations

 Solve them and you get Neutron Flux
 48

Energy Transport in Nuclear Power Plant

 49

PWR Nuclear Power Plant

 50

Energy Production Parameters

 51

Energy Production Parameters

Heat generation rate per pin 

Core power 
 52

PWR Core Power

 Core power  3000 MWth
 Core equivalent diameter  337 cm
 Core effective height  366 cm
 Fuel rod diameter (outer cladding)  9.5 mm
 Fuel pellet diameter  8.2 mm
 Number of fuel rod  264 per fuel assembly
 Number of fuel assembly  193

 Volumetric heat rate, core-averaged? W/cc

 Volumetric heat rate, rod-average? W/cc
 Average power per rod? W/rod
 Average rod linear heat rate? W/cm
 Average rod surface heat flux? W/cm2
 53

Core Thermal Performance Characteristics

 54

First Questions: Normal Operating Conditions

 Is the fuel safe?
 Does it melt?
 How to calculate fuel temperatures?
 55

Radial Heat Transport in Nuclear Fuel

 General assumptions
 No axial heat conduction
 Fission heat is uniformly
distributed in fuel
 Steady-state condition
 Heat transport sequence
 Heat transport through fuel
(conduction)
 Heat transport across gap
(convection+conduction)
 Heat transport through cladding
(conduction)
 Heat transport from cladding
surface to coolant
(convection+conduction)
 56

Thermal Properties of Fuel Materials

 57

Thermal Properties of Cladding Materials

Fe, thermal neutrons   a  2.5 barn

Zr, thermal neutrons   a  0.18 barn (7%!)
 58

Fuel Thermal Conductivity

 Temperature Effects (UO2)
 59

Fuel Thermal Conductivity

 Temperature Effects
 60

Fuel Thermal Conductivity

 Porosity (Density) Effects


P  1
TD
Example: k  1  P  kTD
 61

Fuel Thermal Conductivity (UO2)

 Oxygen to metal atomic ratio
 Theoretical value = 2
 62

Fuel Thermal Conductivity

 Plutonium Content (MOX Fuel)
 63

Fuel Thermal Conductivity

 Pellet Cracking Effects
 64

Fuel Thermal Conductivity

 Burnup Effects
 Irradiation changes fuel composition and
porosity  changes conductivity
 65

Radial Heat Transport in Nuclear Fuel

 General assumptions
 No axial heat conduction
 Fission heat is uniformly
distributed in fuel
 Steady-state condition
 Heat transport sequence
 Heat transport through fuel
(conduction)
 Heat transport across gap
(convection+conduction)
 Heat transport through cladding
(conduction)
 Heat transport from cladding
surface to coolant
(convection+conduction)
 66

Radial Heat Transport in Nuclear Fuel

q'
TFUEL 
4  kF
q'
TGAP 
2  rF hG
q ' tC
TCLAD 
2  rF kC
q'
TCOOL 
hS 2  (rF  tC )
TTOTAL  TCL  TFL
q'  rF 1 tC rF 
TTOTAL      
2  rF 2
 F k hG k C hS ( rF  t )
C 
 67

Radial Heat Transport in Nuclear Fuel

 68

Radial Heat Transport in Nuclear Fuel

q'
TFUEL 
4  kF
q'
TGAP 
2  rF hG
q ' tC
TCLAD 
2  rF kC
q'
TCOOL 
hS 2  (rF  tC )
TTOTAL  TCL  TFL
q'  rF 1 tC rF 
TTOTAL      
2  rF  2 k F hG kC hS (rF  tC ) 
 69

Preferable Characteristics of Fuel Rod

 High thermal conductivity of fuel pellet
 High heat transfer coefficient of gap
 High thermal conductivity of cladding
 Thin or thick fuel pellet, which one is
good..??
 For same power/rod and rod height

Thin Thick
 70

Thermal Design Limits

 For most reactor core designs, the fuel is
sealed by metallic tube called cladding
 Thermal design limits are mainly imposed
to maintain the integrity of the cladding
 In any case, cladding must never fails, in both
steady state and transient operations
 Cladding integrity is strongly dependent on the
state of coolant at the coolant-cladding
interface
 71

Critical Heat Flux (CHF)

 CHF is the main thermal-hydraulic
characteristic in LWR (PWR and BWR)
designs  sudden reduction of heat
transfer capability of the coolant
 In PWR  departure from nucleate boiling
(DNB)
 In BWR  dryout
 72

DNB in PWR and Dryout in BWR

 73

Critical Heat Flux Ratio

 CHF can be predicted using empirical/engineering
correlations
 CHF ratio represent quantitatively the thermal margin of
LWR core design
 74

CHF Correlation
 Westinghouse 3 (W3) Correlation

For uniformly heated channels, the critical heat flux is given by:
 75

CHF Correlation
 Westinghouse 3 (W3) Correlation

The axially non-uniform heat flux is obtained by applying

a corrective F factor to the uniform critical heat flux:
 76

Axial Pressure Distribution

P total  P friction  P form  P elevation

 2  
 2 L  ( r ) v ( r ) f ( r )
P friction (r )   (T )  0 1   (T  T0 )
DH
P friction  penurunan tekanan (bar)
L  panjang channel (cm)
  densitas coolant (gr/cm3 )
v  kecepatan aliran coolant (cm/s)
f  faktor friksi
DH  diameter hidrolik ekuivalen (cm)

f  0.0791Re 0.25 , Turbulent pipe flow Re >> 2000

 vL  vDh
Re    bilangan Reynolds
 
 77

Axial Pressure Distribution

f Turbulent  0.0791Re0.25
64
f Laminar 
Re
 78

 Equivalent Hydraulic Diameter

 79

Equivalent Hydraulic Diameter

 LWR Assemblies

2
4  p  
Dh  d F     1
   d F  
 80

Equivalent Hydraulic Diameter

 LMFR Assemblies

2
2 3  p  
Dh  d F     1
   d F  
 81

Axial Pressure Distribution

P total  P friction  P form  P elevation

form grids  inlet  exit 

P (r )  P (r )  P (r )
 2 
 K  ( r )v ( r )
P form (r )   n  (T )  0 1   (T  T0 )
n 2
K n  form friction factor

elevation  
P (r )   (r ) gdz

Pumping Power (Core)  pAflowvz , avg

 82

Axial Temperature Distribution

 p dT  q( z )dz
mC
q( z )
Ti 1  Ti  dz
 p
mC

FA-wide calculation?
Cell-wide calculation?
 83

 Single heated channel analysis

 Fluid density dependence on temperature
 84

Core Multi-Channel Analysis

p
0 UPPER PLENUM m T
r outlet

z
q1 q2 q3

m 1 m 2 m 3
p
0 LOWER PLENUM m T
r inlet
 85

So can you do core TH calculation now? 

 What are the required inputs?

 What are the outputs of interest?

 86

So can you do core TH calculation now? 

 87

Flow Loop Analysis

 88

Flow Loop Analysis

 89

Flow Loop Analysis

 90

Transport Phenomena
 91

Basic Transport Equations

 92

Flow Loop Analysis

 93

Flow Loop Analysis

Momentum equation
 94

Flow Loop Analysis

Momentum equation
 95

Flow Loop Analysis

Core pressure drop (could be two-phase flow)

 96

Flow Loop Analysis

Momentum equation
 97

Flow Loop Analysis

Gravity term is zero for adiabatic same

height position
 98

Flow Loop Analysis

Momentum equation
 99

Flow Loop Analysis

Momentum equation
 100

Flow Loop Analysis

Momentum equation
 101

Flow Loop Analysis

Momentum equation
 102

Flow Loop Analysis

Energy equation
 103

Flow Loop Analysis

Momentum equation

Energy equation
 104

The Decay Heat

 105

Flow Loop Analysis

Steady state, single phase, natural
circulation (no pump)

Laminar flow  n = 1
Turbulent flow  n = 0.2

Momentum equation Energy equation